It’s a weird weekend for music, with a lot of local name bands playing the East End or upstate.
Their fans are probably laying out some fancy picnic basket on a lawn to hear them somewhere, with champagne and brie. Man, we’ve turned into those Manhattan classical music types, just with brattier music.
But a comfy chair on a lawn with champagne and brie mmm yeah that works for me why let the rich people have an exclusive on the good life.
If you wait to leave until tomorrow morning, there’s tons going on tonight (8/5), from a Purple Rain twisted ‘n screwed screen edit in Williamsburg, to live piano with aerial dancers in Bushwick, and rock and punk at Gutter Bar.
And the Greenpoint club Aviv is active both Saturday and Sunday night, hosting a Latin Punk showcase/zine grab/panel discussion.
Here are some cool vids and less-cool descriptions for the featured performances.
The story behind the Purple Rain remix is it’s the same guy who took The Shining a few years back and screened the whole thing backwards. So now he says let’s change the plot of Prince’s video through editing. Heh. Whoah. If that’s not your reaction, you’re probably better off somewhere besides the Spectacle Theater tonight, around fewer people with dilated pupils.
The thing I like about when bands play at The Gutter is it’s a distraction from sulking about not getting to bowl at the bar’s lanes. Because, c’mon, it’s Friday night, you’re just not going to get a lane.
But it’s our own lanes, the Greenpoint-dimensioned counter-part to Brooklyn Bowl. Hounds Basket, Logan X, and Grace Kelly All Day are set to keep you entertained.
The aerials with the piano thing in Bushwick tonight at 8 is at House of Yes, and what I love about this event is that the picture on the show’s flyer:
is 100% guaranteed to bring in those Bushwick hedge fund loft-dwelling types who are like, “I think there are going to be naked chicks at House of Yes tonight!” but really it’s going to be top performance artists, and those of you who have been to House of Yes can just imagine the promise of piano echoing through that space.
For the Latin Punk Fest at Aviv both weekend nights, I’m going to do you a service and refer you for details to the fine write-up it got in the Village Voice. Not that I’m feeling guilty about trashing the Voice in last week’s post or anything . . .
Aviv also posted a bunch of song previews here too, so you can pick your favorites. Also, you can buy tickets in advance here.
Finally, I do have one more concert suggestion, but it involves taking the train into Manhattan on a beautiful summer day (yuck). But, it’s outside, it’s free, it’s one of the Lincoln Center outdoor concerts and if you are an alt-country modern-folk freak like me you are going to freak out about who’s playing.
Starting at 1 PM on Saturday, Mary Gauthier, Teddy Thompson and others perform. Starting at 6 PM, Dr. John, Lucinda Williams, and Patty Griffin put together a tribute to The Last Waltz. (All this bold font together is starting to make this post feel like a Page Six dispatch from some hippie festival in Texas).
And if you too are an alt-country (or Americana, or whatever you want to call it) fan, as a closing gift I’m going to leave you with this list of the best 50 alt-country albums of all time that struck me as really spot-on.